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The Survivors (episode)
The Enterprise investigates two survivors living on the only undamaged patch of land on a devastated planet. Summary Teaser The is en route to a Federation colony, Delta Rana IV, which sent a distress signal indicating they were under attack. When the Enterprise crew arrives, they find the entire planet completely devastated, save for a few acres of land and a house. Act One Still aboard the Enterprise, Counselor Troi senses something unusual about the two. Riker heads a landing party to the surface, meeting two elderly botanists, Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge originally from Earth. They did not know they were the only ones left on the planet, but they haven't heard from the colonists. They did observe a large ship in orbit, taking the world apart, but did not visit the surface, so they don't know who they are. Riker asks if the landing party can investigate the house to see why they have been spared, but they can't find anything. While they investigate the house, Data becomes fascinated by a music box on Rishon's shelf. At that moment, Troi begins hearing music in her mind, replayed in an endless loop. The music blocks her empathic abilities, an uncomfortable experience. The two survivors refuse to be beamed up to the Enterprise when Riker offers them safety aboard. They insist, saying they have each other. Act Two In the Enterprise observation lounge, the senior staff wonder if the two survivors provided anything to the assailants. Troi, however, hears the music during the conversation and can't concentrate, excusing herself. Picard goes to Troi to check on her, learning of the music she is hearing. Despite Worf's thorough search of the system for the invading force with nothing found, the Enterprise soon is attacked by a large warship, apparently the one responsible for the devastation. Data reveals that there is no record of the ship in the vehicle identification index. The ship flees after the Enterprise fires a warning phaser shot. After being unable to catch up with the unidentified ship, Captain Picard returns to the Delta Rana system. Act Three Upon returning, he visits the two survivors with Worf and offers them a portable replicator, and stays for tea to talk to them. Rishon relates their history, and also the horrors of the colonists' fate. Picard says he can't leave until he finds out what happened, and describes his encounter with the unknown ship to the two survivors who, again, claim not to know why they were spared. Picard says that there must be something different about them from the other colonists, and insists on taking the survivors back to the ship. They again refuse, and Picard and Worf return to the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Troi is still haunted by the music, which is becoming louder, soon rendering her hysterical and incapable of doing much more than tearfully beg Dr. Crusher to make it stop. She suggests moving her to sickbay, which Troi refuses. Dr. Crusher offers to induce delta-wave sleep, but Troi is convinced the music is real and that not even deep sleep will spare her from it. The Enterprise goes into red alert as the unidentified ship returns with more firepower. Picard attempts to open a hailing frequency before being attacked again. This time, the attacks are stronger and cause much more damage than they had previously. As the Enterprise throws everything she's got at the attacking ship, the ship absorbs all energy from its weapons and is entirely undamaged. After taking severe damage and incurring casualties, the Enterprise escapes the ship's firing range. Picard now guesses the survivors are in no danger. Act Four In Troi's quarters, Picard theorizes to Dr. Crusher that Troi's music stems from Rishon and Kevin's unwillingness to leave, preventing her from seeing the truth of the matter. Back in the Delta Rana system, Picard believes that the unknown ship is no longer in the vicinity, and that it somehow protects Kevin and Rishon, directly or indirectly. He then returns to the planet to talk to the survivors. The survivors appear to be celebrating and are startled by Picard and Worf's sudden appearance. Kevin asks Picard and Worf to leave him and his wife alone. Picard tells him that after he leaves, he will never set foot in their home on Rana again for some reason. He explains to the survivors his recent encounters with the ship, however Kevin refuses to believe him, calling his stories methods of intimidation. Right before leaving, Picard sternly explains that the Enterprise will remain in orbit around Rana IV as long as the two are alive. Upon beaming back to the Enterprise, the unidentified ship reappears, much to the evident dismay of Worf. Commander Riker and Worf begin preparations for a fight, but Picard calmly informs them that the Enterprise will take no action. The alien ship veers away from the Enterprise and targets the house of Kevin and Rishon. The house and plot of land are totally destroyed and the ship is then itself blown apart by a single photon torpedo from the Enterprise. Picard orders the Enterprise to stay and look out for anything and everything. Act Five The crew are astounded by this turn of events, and even more puzzled as to why they remain in orbit over a dead planet. After approximately three hours, Geordi La Forge notices a change in sensor readings and informs the captain that the house and land are back. Picard orders Kevin and Rishon to be beamed directly to the bridge and confronts them over what really happened on the planet. Speaking to Rishon, Picard notes that all of his senses tell him that she exists, but he has realized that she is not real. Rishon then vanishes, leaving only a sad Kevin. Picard tells him he knows he's not Human. Kevin then teleports to the turbolift; Picard orders the crew to keep clear and to track him, as he believes Kevin to be a creature of conscience that has some unfinished business aboard before returning to the surface. Dr. Crusher visits Troi's quarters, startled to find Kevin at her bedside: he has removed the music from her mind. The music was his creation; her empathic powers were also threatening to reveal the truth. Picard enters and demands the truth about what happened to the planet. Kevin makes a startling confession: he is in fact a Douwd, an immortal being with vast powers. He met his Human wife many years before and decided to live as a Human with her. The alien raiders were the Husnock, who he knew as being of hideous intelligence, knowing only aggression and destruction. As a devout pacifist, he was ethically limited to avoid using his vast abilities to harm them. He used his powers to try to trick them instead, but it only made them more angry and cruel. Rishon joined the colonists in fighting what Kevin knew to be a hopeless battle against the raiders, and was subsequently killed. Viewing her broken body, he suffered a moment of weakness. Out of regretting his inaction, in an instant of insane rage at the raiders, and grief at his tragic loss, he annihilated the entire Husnock race – fifty billion Husnock – with a single thought. Stunned at his "sin", Kevin recreated Rishon and their house, and sentenced himself to exile on the ruined Delta Rana IV. He used the fake warship as a ruse to try and keep the Enterprise from finding out the truth. Picard confesses that the Federation is not qualified to be his judge in the matter, and allows him to return to the planet. With Troi returned to full health, the Enterprise departs for Starbase 133. Picard notes in his log that the Douwd is a being of extraordinary power, and isn't sure if he should be condemned for his crime or praised for his conscience. What he does know, however, is that "Kevin" should be left alone. Log entries * [[Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2366#Distress Call at Delta Rana IV|Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2366]] Memorable quotes "Sir, may I say your attempt to hold the away team at bay, with a non-functioning weapon, was an act of unmitigated gall." "Didn't fool you, huh?" "I admire gall." : - Worf and Kevin Uxbridge "An entire planet obliterated... except for a few acres of trees and grass and ''one building?" : - '''Riker' "Number One, I think you had better see who's at home." : - Picard, after sensors discover a solitary home found in the middle of devastation on Delta Rana IV (Worf drinks his tea and makes a face). "Well, what do you think, Mr. Worf?" "Good tea. (looks around) Nice house." : - Rishon Uxbridge and Worf "If they are the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust, they can't be in very good shape." : - Beverly Crusher "Your colony was attacked by a warship-''" "''Belonging to the Husnock. A species of hideous intelligence. Knew only aggression... destruction." : - Picard and Kevin Uxbridge "I saw her broken body... I went insane. My hatred exploded. And in an instant of grief... I destroyed the Husnock!'" : - Kevin Uxbridge "No, no, no, no, you don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them ''all. All Husnock, everywhere." : - '''Kevin Uxbridge' "Are eleven thousand people worth fifty billion? Is the love of a woman worth the destruction of an entire species?" : - Kevin Uxbridge "We are not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime. You're free to return to the planet, and to make Rishon live again." : - Picard "We leave behind a being of extraordinary power... and conscience. I am not certain if he should be praised or condemned. Only that he should be left alone." : - Picard, Captain's log, Stardate 43153.7 Background information Story and script * According to the first draft script dated , the working title for this episode was "The Veiled Planet". http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/5/lot/842/ Production begins the "snare" stunt]] , Dennis Madalone, and cinematographer Marvin V. Rush]] * The outdoor scenes in this episode were shot at a beach house in Malibu, California. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) * Director Les Landau recalled, "We were on location for a day. It made not only the audience but the crew happy. When you're tied to shooting indoors every day, it gets monotonous. We were lucky enough to go out to Malibu and we had a beautiful summer day. I think it was unique story for ''Star Trek and one of my best works to date." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * First UK airdate: 23rd October 1991 Cast and characters * John Anderson had lost his own wife shortly before appearing in "The Survivors", and said that the subject matter made the role of Kevin Uxbridge one of the most difficult of his career. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) Sets, props, and costumes * The large round window in the Uxbridge's living room previously appeared on the surface of Ramatis III in . * This is the first episode that Deanna Troi wears her new turquoise uniform, which she would continue to wear on a rotating basis with her maroon and dark gray unitard until the season six episode . Continuity * Both guest stars play characters that are much older than they were in real life at the time of shooting. 67-year-old John Anderson played 85-year-old Kevin Uxbridge and 55-year-old Anne Haney played 82-year-old Rishon Uxbridge. This seems to indicate, as with the 137-year-old Admiral Leonard McCoy in , that the average Human lifespan is much longer in the 24th century. (Haney would subsequently play an even older character, the hundred-year old Els Renora in the episode .) * Riker says in learning of the only surviving area of the devastation on Delta Rana IV, "a few acres of trees and grass," indicating an anachronistic familiarity with the U.S./Imperial system of measurement, rather than the 24th century standard metric system which would use hectares. Reception * A mission report of this episode by Patrick Daniel O'Neill was published in ''The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 10, pp. 44-47. Video and DVD releases * Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 26, * UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 3.1, * As part of the TNG Season 3 DVD collection * As part of the TNG Season 3 Blu-ray collection Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard * Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker Also starring * LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge * Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf * Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data * Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest stars * John Anderson as Kevin Uxbridge * Anne Haney as Rishon Uxbridge (recreation) Uncredited co-stars * Michael Braveheart as Martinez * Mitchell Danton as command division officer * Michele Gerren as science division officer * Richard Sarstedt as command division officer * Natalie Wood as Bailey * Unknown performers as ** Female operations ensign ** Hoy ** Medical officer (voice) ** Nurse Stunt double * Dan Koko as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes Stand-ins * James G. Becker – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes * Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn * Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart * Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis * Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner * Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden * Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton References 2284; 2313; 2361; 2366; acre; Andorian renegades; Andorian renegade ship; Andorians; antiprotons; aquarium; aquatic city; Atlantic Ocean; botanist; city; collaborator; Colony Operations; colony register; coma; dance; Delta Rana IV; Delta Rana IV colony; Delta Rana system; Delta Rana warship; delta sleep; distress call; Douwd; Earth; evasive action; Federation; fish; fusion reactor; gigawatt; Husnock; Husnock warship; immortality; kilometer; Lagrange point; medical tricorder; megawatt; Milky Way Galaxy; moon; Much Ado About Nothing; music box; neocortex; New Martim Vaz; nuclear holocaust; number one; high equatorial orbit; perfume; phaser; philosophy; photon torpedo; plant; positrons; red alert; replicator; ship; Starbase 133; Starfleet admiral; symbiosis; Tao-classical music; tea; tree; Triangulum system; Uxbridge, Rishon (recreation); vehicle classification index; waltz External links * * * * |next= }} de:Die Überlebenden auf Rana-Vier es:The Survivors fr:The Survivors (épisode) ja:愛しき人の為に（エピソード） nl:The Survivors pl:The Survivors Survivors, The